Turning the Underpass into a Landmark
Community voices shaping a creative solution for Dunfermline’s gateway
From Community Concern to Creative Vision
This project began with local artist and Fire Station Creative director Ian Moir, who has long been concerned about the first impression visitors get when arriving in Dunfermline by train. The north underpass at Dunfermline City Railway Station is, in his words, “completely covered in graffiti with a sexual, sectarian or aggressive theme” - a problem that has been left to accumulate over years.
Ian explained, “Our venue attracts many people from other countries - artists, musicians, art lovers - and we’re very concerned about their first impression of the city as they disembark from the train. We’d like to partner with Fife Council to find an easy, affordable solution for the upgrade and maintenance of the tunnel. But first we wanted to know how the public feel.”
This led to the First Impressions campaign, a survey launched to gather community opinions and ideas. Over 347 people responded, and the results clearly show the public’s dissatisfaction with the tunnel and enthusiasm for a creative transformation.
Key Findings with Visual Insights
1. Public perception of the underpass
Before diving into what needs to change, we asked respondents how they felt about the current impression the underpass gives to visitors. The general results chart shows a sharp dominance of negative sentiment, with more than two-thirds describing it as “Very Negative.”
Current impression of the underpass: Overall view, showing 94% negative or very negative.
Current impression by age: Breaks down responses by age group, revealing that negative sentiment is consistent across generations, but peaks among older residents.
2. Impact on Dunfermline’s image
We also asked how the underpass affects their impression of the wider area. Almost 90% said it makes them think worse of Dunfermline.
Effect on perception of the area: Strong skew toward “Very Negatively” and “Negatively.”
Effect on perception by age: Shows that all age groups feel the underpass damages the area’s image, with only a tiny minority seeing any positive impact.
3. Concern about graffiti
Graffiti was identified as one of the main issues. Nearly three-quarters are Concerned or Very Concerned.
Ian Moir linked this to the ‘Broken Windows Theory’: “If destruction is left unchecked, our apathy toward antisocial behaviour is exposed. We cannot allow criminals to shape our morale.”
Graffiti concern overall: Clear majority in the top two concern levels.
Graffiti concern by age: Older residents are the most concerned, but even younger respondents show notable unease.
4. Belief in the value of improvements
We asked if people believe an improved underpass would enhance the station area. The response was overwhelmingly positive.
Belief in enhancement (overall): 94% say yes.
Belief in enhancement by age: Strong support across all age groups, with unanimous agreement among residents aged 65+.
5. Support for improvements in 2025
We then asked if Fife Council should act in 2025 to make these improvements a reality.
Support for 2025 improvements (overall): Mirrors the previous chart’s high support.
Support for 2025 improvements by age: Again, support is broad, though slightly lower among 18–24 year olds.
6. Backing for community partnership
When presented with the idea of Fife Council partnering with Fire Station Creative, 90% were in favour.
Support for partnership (overall): Vast majority supportive.
Support for partnership by age: Support peaks in the 45–64 range, but remains high across all groups.
7. Frequency of use
Finally, we looked at how often people use the underpass. Most are occasional users, but younger adults use it more frequently.
Frequency of use (overall): Over half are occasional users.
Frequency of use by age: Highlights daily or weekly use is more common among 18–44 year olds.
What People Are Saying
The 176 open-text responses brimmed with ideas. The most common: an artistic transformation - murals by Dunfermline artists, heritage displays, and creative lighting to make the space welcoming. Other recurring themes included safety upgrades like CCTV, and the need for regular maintenance so improvements endure.
“Commission local artists to create murals celebrating the city — something that makes people smile when they arrive.”
“It’s the first thing many visitors see. We should make it a point of pride, not embarrassment.”
A Moment for Change?
Andrew Gallacher of Fife Council met with arts venue Director Ian Moir, local artist, Lynn Crombie, and graphic designer, Susan Crombie, to discuss the condition of the underpass. A presentation will be made at the next Fife Council Mega Ward meeting to propose improvements to the maintenance of the whole area.
Have Your Say
Your voice matters. The more people who share their thoughts, the stronger the case for change. Help us show Fife Council how important this project is to our community.
Add your voice to the growing call for a safer, more welcoming underpass.